The Grandmasters
by TheScorpion0081
Summary: Earth is in danger. An evil long thought destroyed is preparing to return and lay siege to the planet and beyond. Rosalina has come to prevent this, but she can't do it alone. Five individuals, four humans and a star spirit, must come together to fend off a threat that the world has never seen.
1. Prelude: Foreboding

Hello, everyone. Scorpion here, bring you my very first story. I thought of this some time ago and decided to put it on paper and eventually here. I am still fine tuning the story, so don't be surprised if you don't see any updates for a while. I am welcome to any criticism and ideas for this story so it can thrive like I hope it should. If anything, I hope to keep being inspired to continue the story to its conclusion.

In advance, thank you for taking time out of your lives to give this little project a try.

Now for the technical: I don't, by any means, work for Nintendo or Square Enix. Rosalina, Polari, Mario (if he shows in this story) and other Nintendo characters belong to, well, Nintendo. Geno and Culex are the odd balls, belonging to Square Enix. I'm just a humble fan of the companies making a story with them.

Now, without farther a due, the Grandmasters. *_applause_*

* * *

Journal Entry: _Foreboding_

_Dear Journal,_

_I had __watched the blue planet as the Observatory passes its orbit. How long has it been since I last been here? How much has changed in the century has passed? I have visited many worlds since I left my home all those centuries ago, met many species, both humanoid and otherwise, and learned so much from the stars and their children. Nonetheless, none of the worlds I have visited has yet to compare to this world or the inhabitants who calls it home._

_ Earth, as it is affectionately called by its denizens, is a world full of beauty as well as contradictions. The people of this planet are, by my observation, are some of the most violent, vain, destructive, hateful people I have seen as of yet. Almost every advancement and advantage the people of Earth has ever developed was used to hurt each other or gain power in some way or another. There are even those who torment the people around them just for the sake of causing torment. Though all that, through all the suffering, there is a light that shines within each person. Hope, compassion, empathy, courage, and determination seems to be at their brightest when it situation is at its darkest hour. My heart has always belonged to the stars, and it always will, but the traits these people have are admirable. To unify and stand in the face of darkness to help their own people is something that inspires me. Right now, that help is also exactly what I need._

_ Even now, as I write, I feel a foreboding force. In the near future, I fear a great calamity will strike this world with a force that will ripple and disrupt the delicate balance of the universe itself. Unfortunately, I am not the only one who feels the heavy sense of dread. The lumas under my care, whom are more in tune with the workings of the stars then even I, was struck with an unknown sense of grief and depression which, compared to their typical positive and spirited disposition, was disheartening to say the least. Polari, my oldest friend and wisest advisor, fears that this is a precursor to the arrival of great evil. "This planet will be where the malevolent force will arrive," he once told me. "If the evil's allowed to surface and escape this planet's hold uncontested, the very existence of the universe will be in great peril. What this evil is, however, is a mystery to me."_

_ What Polaris has told me filled me with a great deal of concern for my children, this world and the universe in general. My duties to the stars would normally prevent me from acting on these concerns; however, to ignore such a terrible calamity would be a betrayal of everything I believe in. I MUST intervene before it is too late._

_This attempt, I fear, will not be as simple as going to the world and warning the people of the dangers, hoping they can solve it themselves. I will have to get directly involved and see to a peaceful resolution to this crisis personally. This is task, however, I cannot carry out alone. It has been some time since I requested from one of another world, I will admit. The last time I interacted with the people of a planet, it was to help a valiant red clad warrior save his special one and my lumas from the power-hungry Koppa King. But I digress. _

_In order to prepare for the trials to come, I will need the help of an old friend. I have already sent a message to him and it should be in his possession shortly. After his battle with the Smithy gang, I fear that he has not fully recovered. Star spirits have vast amounts of power, but it can sometimes take years before they are fully well again. Luckily, my gift should speed up the process, and I am sure that he will be fond of it. Regardless, I pray that he will be able to help. Still, even if he was at full strength, I am still not confident that it will be enough to combat this threat. _

_How much time has passed since I have asked the lumas to loan their power to another? There are so few who can handle the boundless energies that the little once have, and most of those who can are simply not worthy. Finding Earth humans who are pedestrian might be an insurmountable task, but I cannot give up. For the sake of my precious lumas, this world and all worlds among the universe, I must try._

_May the blessings of the stars guide our way._

_~Rosalina_

* * *

So, there's the beginning of my little tale. I hope it is to your liking. A little on the short side, I know, but this isn't a one shot. Other chapters will be up sooner or later.

"The journey to good writing begins with a single pen stroke." (Or in this case, _key_ stroke)

This is Scorpion, signing off. T.T.F.N!


	2. Chapter 1: New Discoveries, Old Friends

Hello, everybody! Scorpion here, bringing you the first chapter of the Grandmasters. I finished this one a while ago and currently in the middle of chapter two. I contemplated on whether I should finish chapter two before updating or just update now. Chapter two is coming along slowly, so I decided to just put this up for your viewing pleasure until two was done. Hopefully, it will be done next month. I wouldn't get my hopes up, though...

Now for the credits: I don't, by any means, work for Nintendo or Square Enix. Rosalina, Polari, Mario (if he shows in this story) and other Nintendo characters belong to, well, Nintendo. Geno and Culex are the odd balls, belonging to Square Enix. I'm just a humble fan of the companies making a story with them.

Now, without further a due, *clears throat* _First Movement..._

* * *

New Discoveries, Old Friends

**National Radio Astronomy Observatory**

**Socorro, New Mexico**

Most people believe that the life of scientists is exciting. Making ground breaking discoveries every day, traveling to new places, making money from government institutions are the common ideas that most have on the subject, and so on. In actuality, most of what people thought were outdated, exaggerated, and vague. Scientists really don't live in such a reality. Astronomers Dr. Candis Serena knows this all too well. She worked in Socorro all her life, she help a college further their research on singularities, or black holes. However, she never received real credit on anything, and she is lucky to make enough to pay mortgage payments and other expenses. Furthermore, in her 16-year career at NRAO, she considered most of her work as redundant and boring.

Boredom is one of the biggest vices in the field. Those who are lucky to avoid losing their minds from it are unfortunate enough to grow at least eight pants sizes. Dr. Serena always told her interns, 'We are here to study the vastness of space, not the vastness of your gut. If you want to work here, find a hobby, or your hobby WILL be eating.' Those who didn't follow her instruction quickly became obstructions in to work space, will those who excelled used the free time wisely.

Right now, however, all she has is free time. The place was void of any life other than herself and Timothy Jericho, the only assistant who hasn't fallen for the 'vices' of the job. Dr. Serena was finishing up her research files while Tim finishes analyzing the last of the incoming data from the data dishes outside. Even for the doctor, analyzing radiation outputs from far off stars and their distances was less the favorable. Short from visiting the stars themselves, there was little that they can learn that they haven't learned already. Unless they discover a new star, which is highly unlikely, Dr. Serena predicts a long night ahead of them.

"I'm going to get some coffee. Want some, Tim?" the doctor asked as she got up, wiping the fatigue from her eyes. Her eyes then landed on Tim.

"I'm good, Doc. I'm almost done anyway with this analysis," Tim said without looking up from the computer monitor. On screen, there were side-by-side pictures from the outer ionosphere in the past forty-eight hours. At this point, the pictures began to blur together, so Tim sat back in his chair and rubbed his eyes.

"They'll pop out I you keep rubbing them like that," the doctor said as she leaves the office. She can clearly hear the words "Whatever, Doc!" as she walked towards the coffee-room.

'_Another night at the office_,' Doctor Serena thought as she scooped coffee grinds into the pot. '_If I knew that I was gonna be wasting my life filling out paperwork and drinking this crap, I would have never taken the offer to work here_.'

Dr. Serena was deep in thought, reflecting on what could have been as the coffee pot began to percolate. How she could have won a Nobel Prize if she had went to a more lucrative organization then NRAO, or maybe something else if she became a lawyer like her mother. Even going down to Waikiki with her ex-husband, despite the fact that she hated his guts, was looking better than current circumstances. She was so out of it, it took a while before she noticed that Tim was trying to get her attention, quite loudly at that. He was right next to her, almost in her ear, in excitement.

"Doc!… Dr. Serena! ... EARTH TO DR. SERENA!"

The doctor would have jumped if she wasn't so exhausted, but she was definitely annoyed. "UH, WHAT!?" she retorted, her already red eyes turning redder from the blood pressure spike.

"Yeesh," Tim exclaimed, more in sarcasm than surprise, unfazed by the outburst. "No need to bite my head off! Anyway, I was looking though this morning's shots like you said and, well…"

"'Well…' what?" the doctor deadpanned. Just then, the coffee maker went off with a ding, signaling the end of the percolating process.

Tim finished with a glee, "We might need that coffee after all."

With that, Tim turned the confused doctor around, grabbed the fresh pot of coffee, and hurried though the doorway with both.

_Four hours later…_

"It must be a satellite, Tim," the doctor exclaimed while she scanned the pictures.

"It's too far outside our atmosphere, and it's not giving of any signals that say it is," Tim replied.

Both Tim and Dr. Serena were in awestruck by what they just found. In the pictures on the computer monitor, there was an unexplainable shape hidden among the stars and debris. Since the pictures were taken once every half hour, it showed the object moving steadily across the pictures. At first they thought it was a glitch in the system, so Tim ran a diagnostic on the system. After the system check, they double-check the pictures and compared them to the current photos, not expecting to find the object again. The more current photos show, to their surprise, the object was there again, clearer than ever.

It was huge object, according to the readings, about two-thirds the diameter of the moon and two-thirds its height. It was hard to get any details because, for some unexplained reason, the surface was not reflecting enough light from the sun to see clearly. What is definitely clear was that it had a strong light source near its center.

"Okay, I'll give you that one," Dr. Serena responded, "but that these readings can't be right. Maybe it's a glitch in the system."

Tim simply shook his head in the negative. "I've already checked for that! I checked the dish alignment, the wiring, the signal, everything! I've run diagnostics on the servers, the switches… the whole nine. I even wiped the dust off the monitors. Whatever it is, it's coming from up there." Tim rapidly spouted off.

Tim took a second to gather his thoughts. It was enough pressure trying to explain where this 'whatever it is' came from, finding out _what_ it is a whole different problem all together. The next possibility that came to his head, outlandish as it seems, was the only logical answer that best identified the object.

Taking a deep breath, he prepared himself for the fallout as he divulged his next idea. "Maybe… maybe it's a, uh, spacecraft?"

Tim knew from experience that fringe ideas was taboo in her presence, punishable by an ear-splitting, three-hour long lecture on the likelihood of it and questions on the maturity of the person who suggests it. He felt the color drain from his face when he saw hers turn from tired and annoyed to serious and _extremely _annoyed.

A deadpan "What" was all the doctor can let out between the caffeine-fueled fogginess and the sheer aggravation from what she just heard.

"It makes sense when you think about it," Tim stated frantically. The skeptical doctor was about to disagree, but Tim continued without giving her the chance, "I mean, it's obviously not a moon, but it's too big to be a artificial satellite, and shaped to weirdly to be an asteroid. It's nearly impossible to see without really sensitive equipment. Even if that wasn't the case, at this distance, it shouldn't have taken this much time and effort to identify. Either we overestimated our skills, or it's doing something to _avoid_ being detected. On top of that, there are no other objects in space that we know of that can behave like this."

Dr. Serena wanted to interject, however, the more she began she listened, the more she began to understand his point. Despite that such ideas are normally relegated to the realm of science fiction, to deny the evidence would be sheer ignorance. _After all, _the doctor thought, '_After you eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.'_

"I still can't believe that we actually the first to find proof of intelligent live outside this planet!" Tim continued in excitement, "I can't wait to see the look on my professor's face when I tell him!"

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Timothy," the doctor said. "Okay, _if _you are right, and I'm definitely NOT going to say that you are until we are sure, if we managed to find it, chances are we are neither the first _nor_ the only. It's only a matter of time before someone decides to call to con…"

As if it was on que, the phone began to ring from Dr. Serena's desk. Half expecting the subject of the phone call would be, the doctor walked to the desk and picked up the phone.

No one could have predicted what would happen next, or the events that followed.

00000000

**Racetrack Playa**

**Death Valley National Park, California**

Dry. That is the only word that comes to mind as Rosalina surveys the landscape. This is not the first time seeing a desert, but she has never seen one like this. The desert she has visited was, though sandy, had 'vitality' to them. They had shifting sands, shrubbery, and at least one animal with eye-sight. Sure, there was struggle, and Rosalina was no stranger to struggle, but "Life always finds a way to show it is still here". This was something that she told her lumas many times. It was something that she deeply believed in. However, this place seems to defy that rule all but entirely.

Everything seemed… dead. From the cracked desert floor, to the cold, dry, still air. Although, the moon and stars in the night sky shined brightly, painting the blank canvas with their beautiful light. Death Valley, as the people of this planet called it, was a name that seemed to resonate in Rosalina's head as she panned it around, eyes widening as she took in every striking detail.

"Mama?"

The word broke through the fog that clouded her mind. Shaking her head to clear it, she quickly turned around to meet the one who called. Floating there idly with a worried and confused looks on their faces were five lumas. Junior, a small, peach colored luma was closest to her with four other lumas lined up behind him.

"Mama… sad?" he said again in his child-like squeak.

Rosalina gently placed her hand on the young lumas cheek, "I'm sorry, little one. I was just deep in thought. Don't worry," she said gently.

With that, the young luma slowly began to cheer up. One of the other lumas, a pink one with a green bow, playfully bumped in to Junior. "Yeah, '_Pwincy_', Mama will be '_alwight_'. There's no need to '_cwy_', little baby," she teased and laughed.

Junior's face crunched up in annoyance as she laughed; clearly not pleased by the female luma's pestering.

"Lay off him, Solaris," exclaimed one of the lumas, the red one this time, who was floating up from behind her. "You know Junior gets cranky when you mess with him like that."

"Aww, but that's what makes it fun," Solaris exclaimed with a giggle, "Isn't that right, '_Pwincy_'?"

Just then, the red luma rested his thick arms on Junior's back. "Don't listen to Ms. 'Prissy', she's just having her moment," the red luma comforted. "If she messes with you any more, just tell ol' Quasar. I got ya back."

Rosalina couldn't help but smile at the scene as Junior cheered up from Quasar's words. It always made her happy to see the three interact, even if it wasn't always on the best of terms. In a way, the three were close siblings, and they care for each other deeply.

Her concentration was broken when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Just as Rosalina turned, a blue luma was floating behind her. "Mama, what exactly are we waiting for? Now that we are here, can't we just look for the dark energy now?"

The blue luma's question immediately called Solaris, Quasar, and Junior attention. Truthfully, the three were wondering the same thing; however, they trusted their keeper enough to wait for her to answer the inquiry freely. Rosalina was always open to the lumas and never held anything from them without good reason. She even told them about the 'unknown evil' and its presence on Earth, confirming what they have sensed for a while. Then she said that when they arrive on the surface, they would have to wait for someone before their investigation could begin. When asked who this person was, however, she would simply smile and say 'a friend'. Not even Polari, her advisor and the closest thing to a father to her and the lumas, was told who this companion would be. The lumas ultimately decided to trust their mama's decision and never brought up the subject again.

Pulsar, the blue luma, however, was never one for surprises. Once this inquisitive luma gets a question in his mind, he is relentless when searching for the answer. Very rarely does Pulsar take Rosalina's words at face value and really does not trust anyone. Rosalina does not mind this for she knows she will get through to him eventually; however, the other lumas finds this behavior unnerving. There was no reason for the wariness, and it is that ire that made him an outcast among the lumas. Pulsar, nether the less, did not play with the other lumas even before then, so it was not a bother.

Rosalina hoped that their little adventure would break Pulsar out of his shell. So far, their trip down to the Earth's surface put him in an irritable mood, but she has yet to give up.

"I will admit, our friend is running a little late. I hope that his journey was a safe one," Rosalina answered while looking up at the starry night sky.

Polari, the chocolate-colored luma, floated up beside her. "The universe is a vast place. The likelihood of our enigmatic friend encountering any problems is close to impossible. I'm sure that he is fine."

"Doesn't this guy know not to keep a couple of beautiful women waiting?" Solaris interjected.

"Strange, the only beautiful woman I see is Mama. I don't see any other'sanywhere!" Quasar exclaimed. He and Junior couldn't help but laugh at the statement. Solaris was anything _but_ amused.

"IS THERE SOMETHING YOU WANT TO SAY TO ME?!" Solaris asked in a growl, trying to set fire to them with her eyes.

The laughter halted immediately. "No, ma'am," the lumas in question squeaked with fear in their eyes. They didn't catch fire, but they got the message.

"Thought not," Solaris said after a second, "Moving on. So, when is this … whoever … supposed to get here, Mama?"

Rosalina never pulled her eyes from the night sky. For a time she stood, unaware of Solaris's question. Finally, she raised her hand and pointed towards a flicking star. All of the lumas looked to where their mama's hand gently directed as the star began to move. At first, the movement was barely noticeable, but after a few seconds, the light began to shift in the sky slowly as it was getting brighter. It was then the lumas realized that the object was getting closer.

Without warning, a ball of light began to form in Rosalina's out reached hand. Just as soon as the lumas noticed, the ball began to change into a shape that they were familiar with. As the light faded, her star-tipped wand became visible. Its gray, thin handle was held gently in her fingertips, whiles the golden, hollow star on the end pointed at the moving star. The tip began to glow brighter and brighter until its light out shown the stars in the sky and covered the landscape in its blinding light. The moving star, which was the only thing that can be seen in the sky at this point, corrected its direction so it is now heading directly for them. The on looking lumas watched as the star drew closer, swiftly entering the plant's atmosphere.

The four young luma watched in amazement as the star came in swiftly, and then suddenly stopped in the mid-air just a few feet in front of Rosalina and the group, kicking up a cloud of sand and dust in the process. Startle by the display, Solaris, Quasar, and Junior darted behind their mother as Polaris and Pulsar remained as they were, their eyes squinting to protect them from the incoming debris. Rosalina stayed calm as she finally rested her arm as her flowing, teal dress flapped in the sudden wind. A smile began to form on her lips as the light from the star died down to something more manageable.

"Whoa," the orb exclaimed, "I almost forgot what traveling at near light speed was like. That wasn't as pleasant as I remembered."

The orb of light, or a star spirit as Pulsar discovered, began to move closer to the group and continued.

"Sorry for being late. I was held up at the Star Road. Then there was that black hole half way here. Ugh, don't get me started."

Seconds later, Junior remembered the voice emanating from the orb. "_!?_! _!?_!" Junior yelped in star's language.

"Well, well. Almost didn't recognize ya, man," Polari said.

"Aww," cooed Solaris, "Still as handsome as always…"

"That's coming from someone with _zero_ fashion sense?" whispered Quasar.

Solaris simply ignored that statement, opting to rip him a new one later. _Not in front of Mama,_ she thought.

Pulsar just floated there, wide-eyed. He heard many things about this star sprite. Most of which came from Rosalina stories and the books he read. He never thought that the sprite existed, or that he and Rosalina actually knew each other.

While the lumas crowded around the newcomer, Rosalina walked up towards the spirit with a simple, warm smile. The spirit saw this through all the commotion and floated towards her, rising up so that he was at eye level.

"It has been a while since our last meeting," Rosalina said. "You have not changed a bit."

"And you haven't changed at all," the star spirit said. "You're just as radiant as always."

Rosalina could not help but blush at the line as the spirit changed to a more serious tone. "I apologies for my tardiness in these dire times, my lady. I should have more."

Rosalina just smiled more. "There is no need for that. As long as your trip was a safe one, then I am happy, Geno."

* * *

Soooo...

That's Chapter 1. What can I say, it's longer.

If my imagination allows, I will continue working on this project. I'll keep on improving until I find my flow. Not perfect yet, but getting there.

"_Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only of standing still_."

To readers, writers, and betas, Happy Holidays and have a safe and Happy New Year!

This is Scorpion, signing off. T.T.F.N!

P.S.: I have another project in the works. I'm not going to promise that it will be out soon, or at all. If I do decide to post it, it will probably be when I am half way done with this story or further. Keep an eye out...


	3. Chapter 2: Witch, Hunter, and Gift

What's up, everyone! Scorpion here, bringing you part two of _The Grandmasters!_

A long wait, I know, but you can't rush an art. Still, I tried to get this up without losing what quality can be found in it. I hope I did well.

For those just starting, WHY ARE YOU NOT READING FROM THE BEGINNING? DON'T SPOIL YOURSELF!

That said, a little recap. Some evil is on our lovely planet and Rosalina came down to try to stop it. Geno, receiving a letter requesting his assistance, arrives as well. On the earth side of things, Astronomer Candis Serena and Tim discovers what appears to be a space ship orbiting our planet. Other the that, nothing important.

Technical stuff: Rosalina, the lumas, and Mario (He only gets mentioned. Just covering my ass) belongs to Nintendo. Geno belongs to Square Enix (again, WHY?).

Alright, time for the meat of it. *Clears Throat* _Second Movement..._

* * *

_The Witch, the Hunter, and the Gift_

Dr. Serena immediately realized what the subject of the phone call would be as she picked it up off the hook. Government agencies and other corporations like to watch the activities of NRAO to find any new discoveries or make sure that the satellites are not pointed to somewhere that they have no business pointing to. This wasn't the first time the doctor stepped on someone else's toes, so she knows how to avert disaster, or at the very least, soften the blow.

"Observation Room," Dr. Serena greeted in the most polite way possible.

A few seconds passed with no answer. Before the thought of a mistaken number crossed the doctor's mind, a gruff, serious voice abounded though the receiver with a great deal of authority. "Is this the head astronomer of NRAO?"

"This is the active scientist. I am Doc…"

"We're fully aware of who you are, Ms. Serena," the voice interrupted. "My associates are big fans of your work, and have monitored you for some time now. We understand that you have stumbled into something… unique?"

"Unique?"

"Yes. Like I said," the mysterious man continued, "We've been monitoring your work and NARO. Keeping and 'up to date' account of your work through your equipment's software."

"You mean as in spying on us? Like… illegally spying on us?"

"No. Us 'Illegally spying' would imply 'not having the proper clearance', which we do have, both from NARO's executives and… other groups and organizations. I also have knowledge on you and your career. For example," The man took a deep breath before continuing, "'Doctor Candis Serena, Head Astronomer at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Socorro, New Mexico. Race and Gender: Caucasian female. Age: 43. You obtained a Ph. D. in Astronomy and Physics from the Colombia University, as well as a Master's Degree in Literature and are working on your Ph. D in Theoretical Physics. You worked at the University of Colorado, where you completed your thesis on the Relativity and Astrobiology, until transferring to NARO, where you spent the last 10 years. You now live off of Jefferson Ave. in Lovington, NM. Your divorced (sorry about that), no children, and have one German Shepard.

"We do have more, but I do have other business I have to attend to. I don't wish to impose any more than I have to, so… about the Unidentified Object…"

The doctor was dumbfounded. She felt her jaw was dropping with every word he uttered. In her line of work, the doctor learned to cut the access to her information as much as possible. There are a very few places to get her information, making it even stranger that he knew so much about her history. After calming down, she decided to play along, hoping that she didn't cross someone dangerous to her career, or her life.

"I'm s-sorry, I didn't catch your name," the doctor forced out, trying in a feeble attempt to even the playing field.

The man began without missing a beat "I never gave it. As I was saying, we've recently located an unidentified object in orbit around our planet. You have as well, correct?"

"Even if I did, I don't have the authority to give out that information, especially to someone who won't identify themselves," the doctor retorted with some aggression.

She immediately regretted that last line.

"Ma'am, all you need to know is that my employers can either make your career, or make it and the rest of your life hell. We need people to confirm our finding and we are just asking for your coöperation on the matter."

Silence. Neither side gave an inch. A scientist isn't known to just give up their findings out of intimidation, and Dr. Serena is NOT intimidated of this man, regardless of who he works for. On the other hand, if his 'employers' were the government in which NARO gets their funding from, then antagonizing him or them wouldn't be the brightest idea. On the other hand, she wasn't going to give up her research to someone simply because he has some iota of authority, regardless of what he could do to her. The doctor wasn't going to simply fold to anyone. Never have. Never will.

The cold war continued until, finally, the man decided that making enemies with someone who can be useful later. It wouldn't really matter if she was against him, for he had more than enough resources to find someone who would be a little more cooperative. However; this is a matter of convince, and he doesn't want to be up all night.

He huffed and broke the silence, "Alright. All I can really tell you is my employers have researched the object for a while. It may hold the answers to many of our scientific questions that we have and advance our research. With your areas of expertise, we may find those answers faster; hence, the phone call. Now, in about five minutes, a limo will pull up to your office. Gather anything that you need as well as a copy of the data that you recently gathered. Instruct you intern, Tim, to do the same, and when the car arrives, get in it. It will take you to where everything else can be explained, securely. Understood?"

The doctor looked at Tim with worry. Tim stood there, listening intently to her side of the conversation, wondering who on the other line would cause the paleness that covered her face. If this stranger knows about Tim, then there is no point trying to keep him from getting involved. In a vain attempt to save her pride, the doctor came back on him one more time

"And if we refuse?" Doctor Serena asked.

A second passed…

"I don't remember giving you a choice."

_Click._

Doctor Serena contemplated on what to say and do next. She knew that he made himself more enigmatic as a fear tactic, and that he probably won't hurt them. However, ashamed to admit it, it worked. There is no telling who or what that man was a part of, and if he doesn't hurt them, his 'employers' might. She wasn't going to risk Tim's life on a theory that they won't, so she began to do as the man said and gathered what she needed, as quickly as her aged frame can manage.

"Tim, you copy down the readings on to a CD, and get your things."

"Where are we going, Doc?" Tim asked, worried about the doctor's increased level of stress

"I have no clue, but we'll be gone for a while."

"Should we, like, call the cops or something?" Tim asked.

"Look, they've been monitoring our progress for… God knows how long, and they have access to _all_ of our information! I don't even want to know what would happen if they find out we called the police!" the doctor explained sharply. With that, the two nervously continued gathering the notes and anything they may need. All without say a word.

As they walked outside, with drives and sheets of data stored in the doctor's briefcase, they noticed a tinted stretch limousine waiting in front of door. A man in a business suit stood in front of the passenger side door, holding it open for what they assumed was for them. The doctor and her assistant stopped for a second, once again considering their options: '_Should we run?'_, _'Should we fight?'_ and again realizing that they really have none. They quietly piled in the vehicle, praying that this trip would not be their last.

The door closed and limo began its long trip to its destination.

00000000

_In-Gin R&D: 'Field Acquisition Team' Office_

_Somewhere in the Rocky Mountains_

"L.O.S IS IN ORBIT. COMMENCE INITIATIVE ACCORDING TO PLANNED PROCEDURE."

Hours ago, this memo arrived in the inbox of all those on the "operation.' Those involved are few, especially those in the company itself, but each one had an important role to fulfill. Scientists and personal within the operation began to scurry around, diverting from their original duties to see to the project, while those outside were either left perplexed or simply didn't care. Very few took stock in the actions of others or their motives, and since this operation involved extraterrestrial beings, it was probably for the best, or so thought the middle-aged man sitting in his private office.

Actually, even after working as an agent of the company for the better part of ten years, he doesn't know what to think. He always considered himself a realist. Everything that he has been through in his live has left little room for fantasy.

The man sat in his office, starting at the stack of over 200 numbers that were given to him to call. All were scientist, astronomers, and many other experts of various fields who are aware of the UFO in orbit. His current task is to bring them in for question and recruit them to their operation if he can, or prevent them from leaking to the media. The media's involvement is inevitable, but they can at least stall them until the operation is complete.

So far, he made of over 70 calls in the past hour, with number 71 being the only one to give him some form of grief. '_Doctor Serena sounds like she is going to be a handful,' _he thought as he picked up the phone to make another call.

The numbers started to blur together from the fatigue, so he began to rub his eyes. A few seconds later, he reopened his eyes, and saw a shadow blocking the overhead light in front of him. The agent looked up and saw the expressionless face of his partner literally a half a foot in front of his and jumped in spite of himself. "Jeez, Marcy!" the old agent whispered, trying to pick up what is left of his composer. "It's called 'knocking.' Ever heard of it?"

"No," the female agent said flatly. The young, raven-haired agent placed a vanilla folder on top of the paper of numbers haphazardly. "We have a job, Will."

Agent William Olivier Willis, or Will, looked at Marcella Seever with annoyance in his face before looking down at the folder itself. He picked it up and began reading its contents. His eyes widening as he scanned the pages. "She's on the planet?" the agent asked.

"Satellites detected a strong energy source in Death Valley's playa area. Unknown in origin, however, considering recent evidence, the only possible explanation is that the L.O.S. is on the planet's surface. The director wants us to take a team and detain the subject once located," Mercy said in a stoic, near monotone voice. Agent Willis, however, knew her long enough to know that she is, oddly enough, excited.

"You do know that it's still could be another false alarm. I would really hate for what happened in Vegas…" Willis began to recollect.

Mercy spoke up, "Don't remind me, Will. I'm sure that our intelligence is correct, this time."

"Out of all the times you said that it was a 'waste of time'."

"Again, don't remind me. The past is the past, but there's no doubt about it… this time." Mercy leaned in over William's desk, in clear violation of his personal space. "Trust me," she cooed with a smirk.

They stared at each other for a minute. Marcy's 'trust me' face was extremely unsettling for agent Willis. She forced him to look into those cold, icy blue eyes. When their eyes met in the very first meeting, a cold shiver flew up and down his spine. After five years of working with her, that cold shiver never went away. She knows this too, as she always enjoyed braking him down and watching him squirm.

Unable to stay comfortable with her in her face, he caved. "Alright, alright! When does the chopper leave?"

"In 30 minutes," Mercy said, finally backing off. "The orders are to bring the subject and any of her companions in alive and, _preferably_, unharmed."

Agent Willis grabbed his jacket and his sidearm. "Let's hope this isn't another wild goose chase," Williams said as he grabbed the folder and headed through the office door. Mercy was close behind him, hiding a mischievous smirk on her face.

'_Looks like the opening move has been made,' _she thought. '_Everything is beginning to fall in to place.'_

00000000

Junior, Solaris, and Quasar floated wildly around Geno, excited to see their old friend from the star road. Rosalina just stood beside just stood beside Polari, smiling, as the three lumas ran Geno over with questions, like where he's been, what adventures he's been on since the last time they have met, and if he brought some presents, namely star bits. Geno simply laughed at their enthusiasm. They are lumas, after all.

"Okay, young ones," Rosalina said. Her soft voice split through the lamas' chatter, instantaneously grabbing their attention. "Geno traveled a long way to get here. Let him rest a little while."

"Aww, but Mama, I wanted to hear about Geno's adventures," moaned Solaris, saying what the three was thinking collectively.

Geno, as much as he enjoyed entertaining the lumas, knew the severity of their situation, and sided with their mama. "Hey, guys, how about you hold those questions, and when there's time, I'll answer all of 'em, okay?"

Quasar and Solaris, understandingly, gave Geno some space. Junior, however, still wanted the answer to his question.

"Sorry, kid. I would've brought some star bits, but I don't have pockets."

Junior's face slumped at the news, but brightens up again quickly. He was still happy to see him after a long while, that was enough for now. Finally, he joined the others as Geno moved towards Rosalina. The tone noticeably changed from happy to serious as Geno began to understand why he was called.

"Something wicked, this way comes, huh?" Geno asked, "I sensed it from four planets away."

Rosalina took a deep breath and began, "At first, I thought it was just the growing population and activity of this planet. But the growth of dark energy was too high to be natural. It too unbalanced. Now, I have no doubt that a dangerous being is here and has lain dormant all this time." A sad expression overtook her face as the watcher look intensely at Geno. "I am sorry, Geno. I wish this meeting was under better circumstance."

Everyone else listened to the conversation closely, trying to understand the subject. Quasar, Solaris, and Junior were completely confused. No one has yet to explain what they were sensing all this time. Polari and Pulsar, however, grasped the problem at hand.

Geno continued the conversation, "Your letter said that there were dying traces of this thing in the Mushroom Kingdom. Knowing Grandmaster Mario, it was probably destroyed almost as soon as it popped up."

"Such evil cannot just 'be destroyed', Geno," she answered with a rare grimness. "Darkness of this caliber will simply find a new placed to fester. If it is strong enough, its essence alone can transcend worlds, time, and even dimensions. Unfortunately, it was only a matter of time and opportunity before it returned. I just hope we are not too late to subdue it."

The tension thickened with those words. They very rarely see her at a loss and thought quickly on how to make her smile once more.

"Don't quit, don't quit," Junior squeaked, breaking though the tension.

"Shrimp's right," Quasar added, "There's no point sitting here doing nothing. If this 'evil' pops its head out, we'll just pop it off."

Solaris and Junior cheered at Quasar's rally call. Pulsar wasn't as enthused. "In case you three dim-wits forgot, we are talking about some sort of powerful creature that it can possibly sacking an entire civilized world with its own power alone. We, however, are five lumas, a star spirit with no physical form, and Mama, who, despite her impressive power, has absolutely zero skills in comb-…"

"Oh!" Rosalina interrupted. "I am sorry; Pulsar, but you just reminded me of something important."

Rosalina signaled the others to give her some room. Geno and the lumas complied and moved a few feet from her. She brought out her wand and closed her eyes. As her wand flashed, sand and dust swirled violently around her. The party watched in awe as she opened her eyes, glowing in a bright teal hue.

With a slight whip of the wand, another orb of light manifested at the tip. The orb grew in size quickly until it was about as large as Quasar.

*Poof*

The orb dissolved in to a puff of smoke. When it settled, a doll was in its place. It was a wooden doll, with a royal blue cape draping its shoulders and a matching cap covering its red, curly hair.

Geno recognized it immediately. It was the doll he used as a baby during his fight with the Smithy Gang a while back, with some noticeable differences. First it isn't as bulky as the original. The toy was crafted with more human like definitions, with more slender and stream-like properties. Plus, most noticeably, there were shorts to this model. He guessed it would be awkward, walking around in a doll with no pants on, though that would probably be the least of anyone's concerns when people sees him. Finally, on the part of the cape over the right arm, there was a picture of the Star Road sewn in. It was quite impressive to see.

"The toy you told us about is pretty rare now, so I asked for what it looked like and carried a new one, with some small alterations," said the watcher with a smile, "I hope it works just as well"

He takes a quick orbit around it as it floats, giving it a quick scan to see he can make of it. He brightens up in confirmation as he fused with the doll without a world. The toy began to glow, doubling in size every second and flashing every time. The younger lumas, including Pulsar, watching in amazement as the doll went from hand size to the about a human child. Finally, the fully grown doll descended to the sand.

The doll began to slowly open its eyes with lids the lumas didn't even know it had. With a blink, Geno began to look around, moving his new neck and torso and getting use to them. He moved his arms, fingers, knees, and feet and didn't feel one fault in them. After moving around for a moment, and a few stumbles along the way, he began to move like a normal person.

"I also restored some of the original abilities that you said you processed in your previous adventure, as well as add one or two other secrets that may help."

Geno turned to Rosalina, "I'm going to assume that you are not going to tell me what those 'secrets' are?"

"Consider it a challenge, from one good friend to another," she said with a smirk.

"Oh well," Geno relented, "This will be perfect. Thanks."

"Can't wait to see what this puppy can do," Quasar stated in anticipation, with Junior chirping in agreement.

"I don't know. I prefer 'star spirit' Geno better, but I can get used to it," Solaris cooed.

Geno was noticeably flustered, causing everyone to laugh.

"Yeah, that's great and all," Polaris began in a huff, "but, did you fools forget why we are here? This isn't the time to have fun!"

"Cool off, pip-squeak," Quasar retorted. "There's nothing wrong with having a little fun once in a while."

"Besides, who died and made you leader?" Solaris added in equal frustration.

"First off, there is something wrong!" the blue luma yelled, "There is a malevolent abomination that is about to sack this world, and it's all a game to you! Second, I don't think of myself as leader, but someone needs to keep you knuckle heads focused!"

"Why don't come a little closer and say that, runt!" Quasar threatened.

Before tensions can rise higher, there Mama stepped in between them. "That's enough, you two," She commanded.

"But, he started it, Mama," Quasar said.

"What!?" Pulsar questioned.

A stern expression from the Mama silenced them both, ending the argument. "You are right, Pulsar, we do have to be vigilant," her expression changed from strict to a soft smile, "but, finding time to laugh can also help us from being too stressed. There is no need for you to be angry. None of you needs to be angry or feel burdened."

Everyone turned their attention towards her, as she addressed them. "Listen, it is time to begin our mission. We are here to prevent the evil from taking this world and spreading to others. It is difficult, which is why we need to set aside our difference to complete our tasks. Understood?"

"Yes, Mama!" the lumas said together. Pulsar was not as enthusiastic, but agreed nether the less.

"And we can count on you. Right, Geno?"

"Your wish is my command, my friend," Geno answered.

"It was wise to contact Geno," Polari said, "But are you sure that they need to be involved? They are still young, and reckless."

"I know what you are saying, Polari, but I did not make that decision lightly," she answered. "I have a feeling that the success of this mission will hinge on the five of them together. These young lumas will meet their true callings while they are here. I can't explain it, but I can feel it."

"As long as you are sure, I guess," Polari relented. He knows that when she gets a feeling, there is no changing her mind. Polari, despite the fact that those feelings were never wrong, couldn't help but be skeptical.

As the wind began to pick up, she continued, "Now, I have an idea of what we need to do next and a plan to stop the evil before it…"

Rosalina's voice trailed off as the wind became wild. A loud, chopping noise started to come closer to them from the night sky. They all looked towards the source of the sound, seeing a silhouette of a flying craft. A bright light turned on, illuminating the ground they were on and blinding them, the dust making it even harder to see. As the lumas huddled in fear, Rosalina and Geno stood, side by side, between it and the young ones, ready to defend them if the need arises.

"Attention, unidentified beings," a voice boomed from the flying craft. "We have orders to bring you in for questioning. If you can understand this, then drop any and all weapons you have and put your hands or the like in the air, immediately!"

* * *

Helicopters, huh?

Looks like things are finally moving forward! What was that? 'About time'?

Jeez, everyone's a critic. .

Just joking! Anyone who is willing to give my story a chance is okay in my book. Anyway, thanks for indulging in my little project. Though little in this case is a bit of a stretch. :-)

Look out for part Three. I will post it... whenever I am done writing it. And for those who are asking, that 'other project' is still in the works.

"_We have not wings we cannot soar; but, we have feet to scale and climb, by slow degrees, by more and more, the cloudy summits of our time._" ~Henry W. Longfellow

I hope you New Years was a good one. Enjoy 2013!

This is Scorpion, signing out! T.T.F.N!


End file.
